Evan and Mia's Belize Do Da Times

Actun Tunichil Muknal - aka ATM Cave -

2008-12-26T21:50:00.000-08:00

ATM is considered the greatest cave found yet. It takes a short full swim and then a half submerged trek for about half a mile to the point where one climbs up out of the water into the chambers where these photos were taken. We were required to take our shoes off once up into the chambers.

In one of his rare non active moments, Gonzo, our fantastic guide takes a well deserved break. He is mentioned also at "CheChemHa" and "Gonzo's Mom's" postings.

All skeletal remains are considered sacrificial.

Only one other pot has been found with a small monkey like insignia. That was many miles away in the CheChemHa cave.

This cave has been affected a great deal by water both down in the rout in as well as up in the huge cathedral like spaces. The calcification flows are amazing.

CheChemHa (Poison River)

2008-12-24T16:02:00.000-08:00

CheChemHa has one of the finest collections of intact pots from the Mayans ever found. It is a high cave requiring a good hike up to access.

This figure of a "monkey" has a disconnected head causing some archaeologists to speculate that the contents of this pot would have been a substance associated with death.

All of the pots were offerings to the gods. The shaman would bless all the pots and their contents. Once the pots were in the caves, the conduit to the underworld, the pots would be broken in some way to to release to the gods, the blessings held within.

Small holes called Kill-Holes were often the form of breakage.

Gonzo our guide, points out a formation that looks like a shark and a huge stelagtite. His family is the caretakers of this cave after his brother Edward found it back in the late 1980's. The government allows you to retain and care for the national treasures that are found on your property as long as you treat them with respect and make them available to the public. The government will step in if misconduct is suspected.

A small chamber required a belly crawl to get into.

Evan and the others reapear from an opening above.

Marge contemplates the best way back down from above.

Gonzo's Ma

2008-12-24T01:00:00.000-08:00

Our guide, Gonzo, asked if we would mind if we stopped at his mother's on the way to CheChemHa caves in order to drop off his Christmas present to her. We all went away feeling blessed by this little side trip.
Evan, Gonzo and a lamb with way too big ears.

Gonzo's dad also made an appearance through the garden.

The thatched roof would quickly ignite should the kitchen fire get too big. Only enough fire is made to cook the food. Getting rid of heat is usually the goal in the jungle. The cooking is done on a on a raised hearth with a steel plate over the fire. This cooking style is common throughout the country.

The kitchen structure is self contained. Most of the photos in this post showing a building are of the kitchen. This home is terraced into the hill side and is surrounded by small terraced gardens that provides much of the family's food.

Gonzo's mother shows us some jewelry that she has recently made. This room is in the structure where they sleep. It also looked to serve as a living room. No structure (in the whole country as far as I could tell) has been built with the intent to control the climate within. Most have only wide wood louvers for closing off openings rather than glass. Most of the glass I saw was louvered. Keeping things open to any breeze and shielding things from the sun is more the goal.

The kitchen structure was sensational in its beauty, integrity and simplicity.

The view from the home was lush and endless.

Rio on Pools

2008-12-21T14:39:00.000-08:00

"A unique granite pool formation, spring fed from deep within the Mayan Underworld, cascades through a riverine habitat supporting a wide variety of exotic flora and fauna".

Y
Ya... and it's a whole lot of fun to play in too!!!

A wonderful series of cascading pools that could not be more fun for splashers of all ages!

Mia says: "Hi, it's Mia. I was at the pools, and I went horseback riding. I also went in a cave. And I went to the beach, where Tom cut open a coconut. And I went to the top of a hill. And I also ate pancakes. And I also went to Barton Creek. And I got to hold a baby puppy."

Evan compares Belize to U.S.

2008-12-20T12:06:00.000-08:00

Old Cars

Old Tired Houses

Lots of Hitch Hiking

and Darker Skinned People

Shorter People

Hoter Temperature

Different Trees

Skinney (pot licker) Dogs

Dirt Roads

To the beach at Hopkins

2008-12-20T09:26:00.000-08:00

Barton Creek Caving

2008-12-16T14:48:00.000-08:00

A cave and a canoe and things get beautiful.

Today we went swimming at Barton Creek. We also saw real bats in a real bat cave!

Selwyn, our guide, took us a kilometer deep into the cave once used by the Mayan for rituals often associated with sacrifices.

And Mia got to hold a baby puppy!!!!!

Horse-back Riding To The Green Hills Butterfly Ranch

2008-12-15T15:38:00.000-08:00

YEEEHAWW!! Were on our way to the Butterfly Ranch.

Horses go much more enthusiastically when they are heading back to the corral!

Another hang out day at Moonracer Farm

2008-12-14T10:49:00.000-08:00

A bit of hiking,

a slew of kids,

and horse back riding made for an awsome day!

Hanging out at Moonracer Farm

2008-12-13T10:38:00.000-08:00

Mia and Daddy hung back while Mom and Evan went off with Tom. Carmoncita, Hector and a few other neighbor kids came over for lots of laughing and playing.

Marixa, Wilton, and Hector bring on the game.

Zumi laughs at the drop of a hat.

Our host, the Super Marge and Recona taking a welldeserved break while watching the kids play.

Xunantunich Myan Ruin

2008-12-12T18:11:00.000-08:00

Great pyramids. Only some of the mounds have been excavated. Beyond the image of Mia and Tom running is an uninvestigated mound. Xunantunich's largest pyramid, El Castillo, rises 130 feet above the main plaza and offers an impressive panoramic view of the Western side of the Cayo District as well as a look into Guatemala.

Very cool!

The Belize Zoo Rocks!

2008-12-11T08:19:00.000-08:00

Dad and Mia take cuddle and tickle break.

Evan became the staging post for the Boa. When folks were not interested in holding it the snake master would set him back on Evan. We sat there for at least an hour!

Two lovely ladies.

A couple of huge Crocks.

The Coatimundi chase and play like a band of crazy squirels!

OOOOHHH The Jaguars!!!

The close ups are Junior (2/07) the Black Jaguar is Ellen. We don't know a name for the big one up in the tree.

April the Tapir is the Zoos matriarch at 25 years old.

The Spider Monkeys fly like the breeze and hang from the trees.

Getting out of the USA

2008-12-10T08:12:00.000-08:00

Pilot Mia got us safely to Belize!

The big birthday morning!

2008-12-07T21:59:00.000-08:00

We pulled both birthdays into one since we will be traveling on Mia's. Trip inspired stuff set the tone. With games, pads, markers and even costumes we are getting well set.

" Markers just like Evan's"

Mia will be boarding the plain ready to fly it.

With a full featured pocket knife in hand Evan will be able to survive anything in the jungle.

And with Binoculars we will bring those Scarlet Macaws up close.

Mia Trains a Super Hero

2008-12-06T13:20:00.000-08:00

The dreaded head dynamo!

Birthday cakes!

2008-12-06T13:01:00.000-08:00

Mom makes caramel. Let the ice-cream cakes get underway!

Poko

2008-12-06T12:53:00.000-08:00

Poko gets a new home.

Today Poko became subteranian. He now gets to hang out in the family room.

[ maybe Poko like the t.v.?]

Ice Cream Dream

2008-12-05T09:13:00.000-08:00

A new ice cream shop, called Ice Cream Alley! opened recently in our neighborhood. The owner is a young entrepreneur named Miss Mia. She says that there are special little presents in the cones under the ice cream. Wow, what a great idea!

Out and about in Fremont

2008-11-28T17:06:00.000-08:00

A low profile Turkey Day. Evan and Dad went and ran around with a capture the flag game in the morning. We all went out for a bit of urban orienteering in Fremont sipping some warm liquid along the way. This rocket is mounted to a building in Fremont with little lights in the "engines".

2008-11-16T14:18:00.000-08:00

Hi all,

This blog is being set up as a place to post and show what the kids have been up to. It is in preparation for our trip to Belize. Who knows how it will develop over time.

To start things off here is a photo from an open house at Pratt Fine Arts Institute here in Seattle that Evan and Dad went to last night.